Wave-motor.



l A.v W. MELANDER.

WAVE MOTOR.

v APPLICATION FILED MAY 1'9, 1911. 1,003,635y Patented Sept.V 19, 1911.

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IA. W. MELANDER.

WAVE MOTOR.

APPLICATION- FILBD MAY 19, 1911.

- Patented Sept. 19, 1911.

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COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH Co., WASHlN ION. D. C.

AUGUST Vf. MELANDER, OF NORTHWESTERN, CALIFORNIA.

WAVE-MOTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 19, 1911.

'Patented Sept. 19, 1,911.

Serial No. 628,304.

To alt whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, AUGUST W. MELAN- oan, a subject of the King of Sweden, residing at Northwestern, in the county of Mendocino and State of California, have invented certain new and useful improvements in l/Vave-Motors, of which the following is a specification.

rlthis invention relates to improvements in wave and current motors, and has for one of its objects to improve the construction and increase the efficiency and utility of devices of this character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character wherein provision is made for utilizing the inward flow or flood movement of the wave and likewise to utilize the ebb or return `flow of the wave.

another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character whereby the force of the wave motion may be controlled and any desired amount of the force en ployed.

lil/lith these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described and then specifically pointed out in the claims. i

ln the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention: Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved device; rig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3H?) of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating a modification of the construction.

rl`he improved device may be erected at any convenient point upon the shore where the waves are constantly moving inwardly, and comprises a supporting platform represented as a whole at 10 and which may be of any suitable size and of any suitable material, but will be of sufficient strength to withstand the strains to which it will be subjected. rllhe platform 10 is provided with a relatively large opening 11 and is supported upon a suitable base 152 of piling, concrete or the like, and of sufficient strength to withstand the impact of the waves. rlhe plat-form is preferably set at an incline generally corresponding to the inclination of the beach indicated at 18, upon which it is erected, and is spaced from the beach a considerable distance, as shown. At its lower end the platform 10 and the supporting structure 12 is provided with an upwardly swinging stop gate 14 which opens outwardly or toward the incoming waves, the object to be hereafter' explained.

lvfounted for rotation upon the platform 10, is a single shaft 15 as shown in the arrangement illustrated in Figs. l, and .3, or with two shafts 16ml? arranged in Fig. 4. rlhe single shaft in the structure shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 8 is provided with a piuA rality of radial paddles or buckets 18, the buckets extending above and below the platform as shown. ln the modification shown in 7Eig. 4, the shafts 16H17 are respectively provided with belt drums 19--O, over which an endless belt Q1 is arranged, the belt being provided with buckets or paddles spaced apart as shown. ln the arrangement shown in l? 4, it will be noted that the upper series of buckets operate above the platform, while the lower series of buckets operate in the opposite direction below the platform. Mounted upon the platform 10 at each side of the bucketed devices, are guard plates 28 9.4, the guard plates diverging toward the lower end of the platform represented in Fig. 1. Mounted to swing at 25 upon the platform 10, near its lower end is a wave-controlling plate 26, the plate being arranged for adjustment vertically to control the force of the waves as they roll inwardly over the platform. Connected to the under side of the plate 26, are segmental rack bars 27 arranged tobe actuated by pinions 28 upon a shaft 29, the latter extending beyond the edgebf the platform, as shown at 30, to receive an operating crank. ly this means the upper edge of the plate 26 may be adjusted vertically and thus control the force of the wave as hereafter explained.

By this arrangement it will be obvious that when the waves roll inwardly the relatively large amount of the inflowing water passes between the diverging members 23- 24 and engages against the portions of the paddles 18 or 22, as the case may be, which are located above the platform and thus impart motion to the shaft 15, or 16--17, as the case may be. of the waves they pass beneath the platform 10 and engage portions of the paddles which extend below the platform, and escape through the outwardly opening gate 14, which opens to permit the ebb flow, but eifectually prevent the entrance of any water At the return or ebb flow beneath the platform during the flood movement of the waves. By this simple arrangement the force of both the iood and the ebb movement of the waves is utilized to actuate the shafts. The shafts may be connected in any suitable manner to machinery of any desired character and thus utilize the force of the waves to drive the shafts. For the purpose of illustration the belt pulley 31 isshown attached to the shaft 16 to illustrate one means whereby the power may be transmitted to the shaft.

The improved device may be constructed of any required size and of any suitable material and may be employed with the endless belt 21 with its paddles 2Q operating` over the shaft 16-17 or the single shaft 15 with its paddles 18, as may be preferred.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is: i

l. A supporting platform having an opening, a member having spaced buckets mounted for rotation through said openingwith its buckets extending above and below the platform, and means for cutting off the flow of the waves at the Hood from the portion of the bucket members beneath the platform, whereby the waves at the flood act upon the buckets above the platform and the waves at the ebb act upon the buckets beneath the platform.

2. A supporting` platform having an opening, a member having spaced buckets and mounted for rotation through said opening with its buckets extending above and below the platform, means for cutting off the iiow of the waves at the Hood from the portion of the bucket members beneath the plat-r form, a guard supported upon the platform in advance of the bucket members, and means for adjusting said guard to control the flow to the bucketed member.

3. A supporting platform having an opening, a member having spaced buckets mounted for rotation through said opening with its buckets extending above and below the platform, vertical members at the sides of the platform and diverging toward the lower end of the same, and means for cutting off the fiow of the waves at the `Hood from the portion of the bucketed members beneath the platform.

Lgt- A support over which waves are adapted to flow at flood and beneath which waves are adapted to flow at ebb, a shaft mounted for rotation upon said support, and buckets carried by said shaft and operating above and below said support.

5'. A support over which waves are adapt ed to How at fiood and beneath which waves are adapted to flow at ebb, and a member including a plurality of buckets extending above and below the support.

6. A support over which waves are adapted to flow at flood and beneath which waves are adapted to iow at ebb, a member including a plurality. of buckets extending above and below the support, and means for cutting off the flow of waves at the flood from the portions of the bucket members beneath the support. A

In testimony whereof, I aiiix my si gnature in presence of two witnesses.

AUGUST lV. MELANDER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

